The Princess Chronicles
by FFcrazy15
Summary: The story of how a young lady learned she was a princess, and a frog slowly became a prince. Follows, "The Princess." Kellye/Charles friendship and romance.


Disclaimer: don't own, don't profit, no copyright infringement intended.

_**A/N: This story follows the story, "The Princess," and while you can technically read this on its own, it'd probably make more sense to read that first. ALSO, I have trouble finishing multi-chap stories**__**, so I'm really sorry if I don't finish this one. I hope you like it!**_**  
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**M*A*S*H**

"Major!"

Charles turned, surprised, and watched as the young woman ran up to him, carrying a clipboard and book. "Nurse Nakahara. Something you wanted to talk about?"

Kellye glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, and then said, "I just want to thank you. For dancing with me last night, I mean. I know you only did it to be nice, but- well, it was real kind of you, Major, and I just wanted you to know I'm grateful."

"Think nothing of it," he said, feeling surprisingly charitable.

"Oh, but I have to, Major. You know, you have a real talent for making a girl feel like she's something special."

"Well in that case, you're quite welcome. Good day, Nurse Kellye." He was about to leave when he remembered that he'd left the letter he was going to mail to Honoria in his tent, and turned.

TUNK! As he accidentally bumped into Kellye (who'd been heading the other direction), the book and clipboard she'd been carrying fell to the ground. "Oh, pardon me," he said, picking them up. As he did so, he caught sight of the book. "Romeo and Juliet?"

"Oh, yes," she said, surprised. "One of the other nurses lent it to me; she said I might like it. Have you read it?"

"Once or twice. It wasn't my favorite Shakespearean piece; I was much more a fan of Julius Caesar."

"I read that one in High School; I thought it was really neat."

He chuckled condescendingly. "Yes, well, I'm sure when Shakespeare wrote one of the greatest tragedies of all time, his goal was to make it 'really neat.'"

She frowned. "Well you don't have to be so unkind about it."

Upon seeing her face, he relented with an, "Er, yes, well…" He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said, albeit a bit grudgingly.

"That's alright," she said, dismissing the whole incident. "Well, have a nice day, Major." She brushed past him, humming a little.

"That's a new one, you know," he called on impulse.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Huh?"

"That's a new one," he reiterated, and then explained, "Most people- quite unjustly, of course- would have accused me of being rude or patronizing. No one's ever been quite that blunt before."

"I'm sorry, I guess I was being a little mean myself."

"On the contrary," he said, "I found it... oddly refreshing." He hesitated a moment, and then said, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No," she said, surprised.

"Good, don't. It's awful." He gestured back towards the Swamp. "My sister sent me a bundt cake; I was saving it for tomorrow's breakfast, but I could spare a few pieces for today's lunch, if you don't object."

"Object to cake? Why, that'd be an atrocity," she said, grinning. "But we'll have to hide it from the others, or they'll never leave you alone."

"I hid it under my classical records; it's the only place they'd never look."

Kellye laughed. "Major, I would be honored to eat your fancy-schmancy cake."

"And so you shall. Just don't tell anyone, or there won't be a crumb left to feed the rats that live in my tent." He paused. "Or the furry things that crawl about on the floor, either."

**M*A*S*H**

"So, why does it have a hole in the middle?"

"You know, I never really thought about it," Charles said, pausing in between bites of his slice. "I suppose it's to help it cook better."

"Well, tell your sister to tell your servants it's really good," she said happily, taking another slice.

"Actually, I think Honoria baked this one."

"Really?"

"Indeed. She's the only person in our family who likes to cook; I remember once she was baking a cake and got herself absolutely covered in flour. Mother and Father were furious, of course…"

"Your sister sounds like a very nice person," Kellye said, swallowing.

"Yes, she is. The servants always just adored her; even when we were children the head cook doted on her." He smiled reminiscently. "I remember that if we wanted a cookie or one of the treats she'd be preparing for that night's dinner, all Honoria ever had to do was widen her eyes and ask sweetly. She was never able to say no to her."

Kellye laughed at that, and appeared to be about to say something before the heavy pulse of chopper blades cut her off. A moment later, the intercom rang out, _"We've got wounded, folks! All personnel, report to your quilting bees!"_

"Ugh," Kellye groaned, standing up. "Duty calls."

"Always during meals," Charles quipped, shaking his head. "It really has no tact."

**M*A*S*H**

"Scalpel."

Nurse Nancy Johnson slapped the instrument into Hawkeye's hands. "Scalpel."

"Oh, and what a lovely scalpel it is, too," the dark-haired doctor commented. "Slim, sharp as a whip-"

"And very smooth today, apparently," Johnson finished, smiling under her mask.

"If we could please focus on _surgery?"_ Margaret called over from Potter's table, annoyed.

Hawkeye pouted and started to make an incision in the patient's chest. "Just cut along the dotted lines; that's how you make a dress," he said, and then paused to wink up at Nancy. "Or get somebody out of one."

"You're getting worse at this, Pierce," Charles commented from the next table over. "Suction."

"What, hitting on nurses?"

"Suction," Kellye said.

"No, surgery. Thank you, Nurse."

Everyone looked up in surprise at the doctor's statement. Dr. Winchester was famous for being nothing short of condescending to the nurses. Apparently Charles didn't notice, and Kellye responded with only a mild, "You're welcome, Doctor."

"Forceps," he said, holding out a blood-covered, gloved hand.

"Forceps."

His forehead creased in concentration, and then he let out a triumphant, "Ah-hah. There we are. Nurse, I think that's the last of it; if you could close for me?"

"Yes, Doctor. I'll meet you over at the next patient when I'm done."

"It's a date," he said drily, switching to the next table as Klinger brought in a new patient. Kellye glanced up, surprised, and then went back to suturing the ileum.

**M*A*S*H**

"Lt. Johnson, I don't want to see that kind of behavior again," Margaret said, taking off her mask.

"Oh, Major, it's just a little harmless flirting," Nancy said, rolling her eyes. "What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' is that it's unprofessional and distracting, especially for Dr. Pierce."

"Oh, I don't think he minded, Major," Kellye said, undoing the strings of her robe.

"That's exactly the problem; he _doesn't_ mind. Now I don't care what you do on your off hours, Johnson, but in OR Dr. Pierce's mind is supposed to be on the patient, and you batting your eyelashes at him isn't exactly an incentive to work."

"Major Houlihan-"

"I said no and that's the end of it. Kellye, could you help with clean up?"

"Sure, Major."

"Hold on, I get reprimanded for flirting but she doesn't ?" Nancy demanded.

"Flirting? With who?" Kellye said, frowning.

"Well Dr. Winchester, of course."

"I wasn't flirting with Dr. Winchester!" the Japanese nurse said defensively, flushing red.

"She's right; who would ever make a pass at that blowhard?" Margaret pointed out.

"That's not what I-"

"Well, even if she wasn't, it was still non-work related talk." Nancy said, crossing her arms. "So which rules apply and which ones don't?"

Margaret sighed, deciding that at the moment a cup of coffee was worth more than beating her nurse over the head with the book. "I'm not going to go through every loophole you can come up with, Lieutenant. Fine, general conversation is allowed, just try to keep it _somewhat_ professional! Our job is to aid the doctors and keep OR running smoothly."

"Yeah, we can test how smoothly the doctors run later," another nurse giggled, prompting laughter from the others and an eye-roll from Margaret.

As the other nurses dispersed, Margaret caught Kellye by the shoulder. "Between you and me, Lieutenant," she said in a low voice, "I don't care what it was you were doing in there, be it flirting or otherwise. That's the most tolerable Charles has been since his grain stock rose, so whatever it was, keep it up." She gave her a quick, almost friendly smile and hurried off, leaving Kellye to stare, blushing furiously.

**M*A*S*H**

"Heyyyy, Charles, way to go."

The Bostonian doctor glanced over as he walked into the Swamp. "Oh, thank you, Pierce; I was beginning to wonder when someone would notice my obvious expertise over yours."

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "I meant with Kellye."

This gave him pause, and he looked over from where he was getting his shower supplies out of his foot locker. "Beg your pardon?"

"He means congratulations on finally finding someone who can stand you," B.J. elaborated, a little ungenerously, if truth be told.

Charles frowned, confused, and stood up straight. "I'm afraid I don't follow; are you insinuating that a relationship has been established between myself and Nurse Kellye?"

"No, we're insinuating you've started a relationship with the Easter Bunny; yes, we mean Kellye," Hawkeye said, rolling his eyes. "Who did you think we were talking about, after everyone saw you on Valentine's Day?"

"I didn't see that; what happened?" B.J. asked.

Hawkeye winked. "They danced the night away."

"Nurse Kellye and I," Charles said firmly, "are just friends. Something you would know if you were capable of forming anything but a carnal relationship with a woman."

"Ouch," Hawkeye said. "That cuts to the heart, Charles, old buddy." He mimed stabbing himself. "Oh happy dagger!"

Charles watched, unimpressed, as the surgeon fell back dramatically on his cot. "Hilarious," he said sarcastically. "Really, Pierce, with your talent I don't know why you became a surgeon. You could easily have supported yourself working in a comedy club."

Hawkeye grinned and took a miniature bow. "Thank you, I'm here all week."

"So you're saying there's nothing between you and Kellye?" B.J. asked.

"Don't be ridiculous; of course not," he scoffed. "You're letting your little imaginations run away with you. Nurse Kellye and I are simply acquaintances, nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go bathe and change for dinner. Good evening." He walked out, laughing a little. "I- and Kellye? What an outlandish idea."

He headed off in search of a shower, still chuckling to himself over the absurdity of their suggestion. And yet- and yet, somewhere, in the back of his mind, an idea formed like a seed and began to take root.


End file.
